Method and system for representing manufacturing and lithography information for IC routing

ABSTRACT

A mechanism to compress manufacturing awareness into a small representation and to enable the router to consult the representation without performing, or understanding, detailed process analysis, is disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application constitutes a division of and thereby claims the benefit of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/292,800, filed on Dec. 1, 2005, entitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REPRESENTING MANUFACTURING AND LITHOGRAPHY INFORMATION FOR IC ROUTING”, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The present application is related to U.S. application Ser. No. 12/276,267, filed on Nov. 21, 2008, entitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REPRESENTING MANUFACTURING AND LITHOGRAPHY INFORMATION FOR IC ROUTING”, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

With the advent of deep sub-wavelength lithography, the relationship between width, spacing, and yield is more complex than it used to be. The conventional solution is obtained by running optical and etching simulation software to find the process window, and then simulating process variations to find the expected yield. This may be acceptable for defining process characteristics, but far too slow for a router that must make millions of width and spacing decisions to complete a single design.

In order to fabricate successfully, all lines and all spaces must print correctly. The spaces must print correctly, or else a short may occur. The lines must print correctly or an open may occur. Failure of the chip fabrication can occur for varied reasons. Three of the reasons are discussed below. First, the dose or focus might be off enough so that the line or space does not print properly. This may be referred to as an ‘optical’ problem, or a lithography problem. Second, a stray particle can land on the mask or wafer, perhaps breaking a line or causing a short. This can be referred to as a ‘particle’ problem. Third, a via can fail to work correctly, due to variety of reasons. This may be referred to as a ‘via’ problem. These challenges are described in more detail in the following paragraphs.

The particle problem is well understood. Particle size distribution can be measured for a given set of fabrication constraints. For example, FIG. 1 is a representation of a particle size distribution graph to determine the number of particles of a particular size that may be available to cause a failure. The graph shows that as the particle size decreases the number of particles in a square centimeter increases. Thus the odds of failure are reduced if the width or spacing is greater than the smaller particle sizes. However, in the absence of detailed data some particle size distribution can be assumed (1/x³ is typical).

A ‘critical area’ can be measured for any size particle—this critical area is the area of the portion of the layout where the chip would malfunction if the center of a particle of the specified size landed in this area. The particle size distribution and critical area determine the yield from this effect. In general, the details of this model have not mattered much to routers since the curve is so steep that the solution to date has been to evenly distribute any remaining space.

The optical, or lithography, problem in which the dose (i.e., exposure) and focus may be skewed, is where the recent complexities occur. Here a bigger spacing is not always better, and may be considerably worse. In fact some dimensions, even though larger than the minimum, may not be permitted at all. These “not-permitted” dimensions may be referred to as “forbidden pitches,” and result from the sophisticated optical tricks needed to print these sizes at all. For example, lithography may be optimized to print the narrowest lines and spaces. Larger spaces will then work less well, until the spacing is large enough to allow assist features (may be referred as scattering bars) to be inserted. In some cases the process window at the intermediate spacing is so small there is virtually no chance of both the space and the lines printing correctly, this is a forbidden pitch.

One prior solution is referred to as ‘design rules’. These rules may be very simple and binary in nature. Any solution that meets the rules is acceptable (and all solutions are equally acceptable), and any solutions that does not meet the rules is forbidden (and all such solutions are equally forbidden). The rules are simple, consisting of, at most, a list of spacings according to wire width, and often just a single minimum width and spacing. For example, a common routing design rule is to route a wire no closer to an object than some specified minimum spacing (typically roughly equal to the width of the wire) so that they will have enough space to function properly.

Another prior solution is referred to as ‘scripts’. Scripts are command sequences that tell the router what to do. For example, the scripts may instruct the router to first double all vias wherever there is enough space, and then route the remaining wires. These scripts are intended by the user to result in designs with increased yield. However, this is not always the case.

The drawback to both previous solutions is that they do not describe the real manufacturing system very well. In practice, different spacings and widths have different degrees of manufacturability. Second, because of the binary nature of the rules, there is no guidance once the rules are met. That is, each scenario that meets rules is treated equal to the other scenarios that meet the rules, when that may not be the case. Exact minimum spacing, twice this spacing, and so on, are all exactly as good to the router. So the router has no reason to pick one configuration over another.

Some more specific example problems include:

Existing routers cannot include considerations of lithography, particle yield, and via problems simultaneously.

Existing routers cannot make an intelligent choice among many alternatives, since all are exactly equal under the older concept of design rules.

Existing routers cannot obey the idea of ‘forbidden pitch’, where certain spacings are not permitted even though a smaller spacing is acceptable or fits within the design rules.

Existing routers cannot make an intelligent tradeoff between extra vias and increased critical area, so it must follow simple strategies such as doubling all vias, then increasing spacing, even though this may not be optimum and in fact hurt the overall yield. For example, FIG. 2 illustrates single, double and triple vias. Single via 212 is surrounded by metal 210. Double vias 222 and 224 is surrounded by metal 220 and triple vias 232, 234, 236 are surrounded by metal 230. Adjacent to the via objects is object 240. When a via is doubled or tripled the probability of the via working increases, however, the critical area between the via(s) and the adjacent object increases as well. That is, as the via yield is increased, the line printing yield may decrease or the critical area may be large enough for a particle failure. For example, single via 212 has a critical area 218. However critical area 228 associated with double vias 222 and 224 is larger than critical area 218, and thus the line printing may have a lower yield due to particle problems than single via 218. Similarly, critical area 238 associated with triple vias 232, 234, and 236 is larger still and may have a lower yield than a double via or single via.

Existing routers cannot maximize yield, which is what the user really wants. Instead it simply tries to minimize area, which may or may not lead to the maximum yield design. In particular, existing routers may never consider non-minimum sized designs, even though they may have enough increased yield to more than compensate for their larger size.

Existing router and extractor estimates of parasitics and critical areas do not take into account how the real manufactured silicon will look since it is too time consuming to do so, even though this information can be calculated.

SUMMARY

A mechanism to compress manufacturing awareness into a small representation and to enable the router to consult the representation without performing, or understanding, detailed process analysis, is disclosed. A mechanism to compress manufacturing awareness into a router aware representation includes obtaining the fabrication constraints, obtaining the space and wire data, obtaining the particle data, obtaining the via data, and storing the data into tables for the router to access.

A method for routing an IC may include extracting a first set of information, extracting a second set of information, and creating routing alternatives based on the first set and second set of information.

A system for IC routing may include a set of particle information tables, a set of via information tables, and a routing engine.

A method for compressing manufacturing awareness into a router representation for integrated circuit routing includes obtaining a set of fabrication parameters, obtaining particle data, obtaining via data, normalizing the particle and via data, and storing the data in tables for the router to access while making routing decisions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 represents an example particle data chart.

FIG. 2 represents example single, double and triple vias.

FIG. 3A represents an example design used to generate wire table data.

FIG. 3B represents an example design used to generate space table data.

FIG. 3C represents a flow diagram that illustrates the derivation process for lithography table information.

FIG. 4 represents example across and along measurements.

FIG. 5 represents example via data.

FIG. 6A represents a flow diagram that illustrates an embodiment of the router contemporaneously considering sets of information.

FIG. 6B represents a flow diagram that illustrates an embodiment of the router comparing alternative routings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A way to compress manufacturing awareness into a small representation that the router may consult without the need to perform (or understand) detailed process analysis is discussed and includes a way for routers and extractors to take lithographic constraints into account during their estimates of parasitics.

In one embodiment, three sets of tables provide this awareness. One set of tables describes the problem of printing spaces and lines, a second set of tables details the problems of particles, and the third set of tables details the problems of vias. The first set of tables tell the router the likelihood of optical problems. In the explanation below, vertical lines are used, but other lines may be used as well. Also in this example, parallel lines dominate the yield for machine routed data.

The first set of tables may include two tables. A first table includes line printing information. A second table includes space printing information. The optical line printing table, in some embodiments, may be indexed by space width, wire width, space width, wire width, space width (space-width-space-width-space, or SWSWS). The optical space printing table, in some embodiments, may be indexed by wire width, space width, wire width, space width, and wire width. (width-space-width-space-width, or WSWSW). In some embodiment, each width and spacing may assume 10 values, that is 100,000 entries for each of the two tables. This structure may be referred as a five-dimensional table with each width considered a dimension. In other embodiments, a three-dimensional table structure may be implemented with an indexing of SWS and WSW with fewer entries per table.

The wire and space printing information may be obtained by process 350 in FIG. 3C. In process action 352 a design is created. An example wire printing design 300 is shown in FIG. 3A. An example space printing design in shown in FIG. 3B. In process action 354, the design is simulated with a process model using the fabrication parameter. Process action 356 computes the process window and stores it in the table in terms of focus and dose. Process 358 computes the odds that the particular design works using more detailed (but time consuming) methods such as optical simulation and Monte Carlo analysis. Process action 360 determines if the design will work. If the design works, process action 362 computes the center and size of the sweet spot. In some embodiments, this information may be stored in an application data table for use by the router, other embodiments do not use this information at all. If the design does not work, or after the center and sweet spot are computed, process action 364 determines if there are more designs to test. If there are more designs to test, process action 365 selects the next design and returns process 350 to process action 352. If there are no more designs to test, process 350 stops.

The plurality of designs may be created by altering the widths of each of the spaces and wires in the example designs, such as those shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. The quantity of designs tested may vary. It may take more time to design and test more examples but the reward is more accurate data for the router. Some embodiments may require more accurate data and may utilize 10 values for each of the width dimensions creating 100,000 designs for wire data and 100,000 designs for spacing data, whereas some embodiments may require faster results and utilize fewer dimensions or fewer values for each dimension creating fewer designs.

A more quantitative generalization of forbidden pitch can be represented in the wire and space tables. A completely forbidden pitch can be represented in this format as a zero-sized process window. Also, the bad pitches can depend on the width of the wires on either side, as is desired.

Some embodiments may use application information associated with the line and space printing tables. This information may include, for example, the center of the sweet spot of the process window in terms of focus and dose as calculated in process action 362 in FIG. 3C, and the expected displacement of the edge (as manufactured) from where it was drawn. Uses of this application information are explained later.

The second set of tables details the problems of particles and critical area calculations. In this set there may be two tables. A first table may describe the probability of a particle causing an undesirable open circuit. A second table may describe the probability of a particle causing a short circuit. The information in the tables indicates the number of particles per square centimeter that are likely to be available in a clean room that could cause a failure per a certain size of critical area. That is, critical area is based on the distribution of particle sizes and the probability of the particle landing on the space.

The critical area is computed between every piece of neighboring material. For illustration, FIG. 2 shows the computation for the metal associated with via(s), but in fact all materials are considered. For example, critical area 218 in FIG. 2 has a certain probability of failure due to open circuits and a certain probability of failure due to short circuits. Critical areas 228 and 238 in FIG. 2 have higher probability of failure than critical area 218 because there is a longer space that has to be concerned about a landing particle.

The third set of tables reflects the overlap of cuts and the odds that a via instance fails. An expression to represent this relationship may be rel=f(number of cuts, overlaps). That is, the critical area failure probability is a function of both the number of cuts, or number of vias, and the metal overlap of the vias. The number of vias may be single, double, triple or even more. Overlap of vias involves the width of the metal surrounding the set of vias. The width of metal surrounding the via may be referred to as the across and the along. An example of these measurements is shown in FIG. 4. Along 405 is the measurement from the end of the via to the short side of the metal. Across 410 is the measurement from the end of the via to the long side of the metal. The width of these two measurements impacts the probability of failure due to misalignment, overetching, and other possible fabrication problems. This data is layer dependent. That is, each layer may have differing characteristics such as thickness or material, and thus each layer may have a differing contribution to failure probabilities. Consequently, each layer has its own via data. Further, there may be a single, double, triple, or more vias in each layer, and since that via may be cutting through to the layer above or to the layer below there may be two set of information per via. In some embodiments, there may be six tables of data for each layer—a table for odds of a failure of a single via to the layer below, a table for odds of a failure of a single via to the layer above, a table for odds of failure of a double via for the layer below, a table for odds of failure of a double via to the layer above, a table for odds of failure of a triple via to the layer below, and a table for odds of failure of a triple via to the layer above. In one embodiment, the triple, quadruple (or more) vias are all assumed to fail at the triple via rate, since due to all the redundancy, all such vias are very reliable, and distinguishing between them will not significantly impact the results. Example via data is shown in FIG. 5. The chart shows across width versus the along width. Each grid space details the odds that a particular across value and a particular along value pair will have a failure. In some embodiments, there may be only one number in the grid, that is, each grid position is assumed to have the same odds of failure.

Each of the tables may be calculated in similar units so they can easily be combined into a total manufacturing yield analysis, including each type of failures as appropriate. In some embodiments, the estimates are realistic failure rates, that are close to actual fabrication figures. In this case, cost may be calculated as cost=−log(failure rate), and then a real yield can be estimated. However, this is not necessary, since in general the router is comparing configurations. In an embodiment where the estimates are not realistic failure rates, the entries may be treated as costs, and only their relative magnitude is significant. Using cost values simplifies calculations for the router because the router is already accustomed to evaluating costs of fabrication. Thus, translating the failure rates into costs places the data into terms the router understands and can manipulate. FIG. 6A is an illustration of an example router process 600. In process action 602 the router extracts a first set of information from the tables. In process action 604 the router extracts a second set of information from the tables. In some embodiments, the first set and second set of information can include any two of particle information, via information, and lithography information. In other embodiments, three sets of information may be used taking into consideration particle, via, and lithography information contemporaneously in routing decisions. In process action 606 the router creates alternative routings based on the two sets of information. In some embodiments the designer weighs the pros and cons of each alternative routing and chooses the most suitable one for his needs. In some other embodiments the router may be programmed to select the most suitable routing.

With this information, the router can make intelligent choices in using extra space for extra width, for extra spacing, or for a combination. It can also choose intelligently between an extra via and wider spacing. For example, the router may have some extra room and needs to decide how to use it. The goal is to have the vias, the spaces, and the wire widths work. For example, let the total amount of room available be R. Then the router can select spaces and wire widths (e.g., S1, W2 and S2) such that S1+W2+S2=R, where S1=−log(failure rate of S1), S2=−log(failure rate of S2) and W2=−log(failure rate of W2). Process 625 shown in FIG. 6B illustrates the embodiment of the router selecting between alternatives. In process action 630, the router calculates the table values of the alternatives. In some embodiments the table values are the odds of failure or failure rate. In other embodiments the table values are “costs” calculated by taking the −log of the failure rate. In some embodiments the costs can be weighted. In process action 635 the alternatives are compared. In process action 640 the router selects one of the alternatives. In some embodiments, the router may chose an alternative based on yield alone. In some embodiments, the router may chose an alternative based on yield and cost or based on yield, cost and timing.

In a similar way, the router can now decide in an intelligent way about the relative merits of the two configurations. The two spaces (S1, S2) must print, the wire (W2) must print, and at least one of the two vias (the original and the extra via) must work. The calculation is slightly more complex since the length of wire at the various spacings changes as well, but it still boils down to minimizing the (weighted) sum of various failure probabilities. In particular, note that if putting the wire in the center results in two forbidden pitches, then the router may move the wire to one side or the other.

The following example is an embodiment of when the router can use the application information from the tables. In a real chip, the spaces and the wire share a single random focus and dose since they are very close together. Theoretically it is possible for the first space to print correctly 50% of the time, and the second space to print correctly 50% of the time, but for there to be no conditions under which they both print correctly, so the yield is 0 rather than 50%. Once the process regions are obtained, they can be checked for this scenario. Using the application table entries of center of the sweet spot and size of the sweet spot for both spaces and the lines, the router can look at the overlap to check for compatibility.

Another application entry is a field containing ‘edge displacements as printed on the silicon’ entry. The router and/or extractor may use this to modify the electrical equivalent widths of the wires and then compute an ‘optically correct extraction’ for very little additional cost. It may also lead to a much more accurate critical area calculation. In some embodiments a line/space based model may be used, where each edge displacement can be computed twice, since each edge is one edge of a space and once edge of a line. In some embodiments a program can use the average of the two computed displacements. In other embodiments, the derivatives of the edge placement may be listed with changes.

In some embodiments, the lithographic tables can be restated in terms of lithographic effects on edges, rather than on lines or spaces. This would require fewer tables, but the complexity of the calculation of the odds that a given line or space prints correctly would increase, since each line or space has two edges.

In some embodiments, extra tables may be included for use in special circumstances (such as local density or orientation). These tables can be used to make adjustments for particular circumstances.

In some embodiments, the data can also be developed using functions, rather than tabulated values, if a set of suitable functions can be found. Alternatively, the tables could contain the joint probability of success, at least for a wire and adjoining spaces, instead of specifying a process window and having the router compute this. Also, various other formats can be used to express this idea.

In some embodiments, when computing the odds of failure, the idea that printing ‘fails’ can be determined in many ways. For example, printing failure could be when the line becomes and open (or the space actually shorts), or could be when the line or space goes out of geometrical tolerance, or some other criteria.

In some embodiments, instead of, or in addition to process windows, the tables could contain the nominal result and sensitivities with respect to the relevant variables, such as dose and focus. For example, a process window might state that the wire width will be acceptable provided the dose is between 18 and 22 mJ/cm². The sensitivity based version might say that the resulting wire width=100 nm+10 nm cm²/mJ*(dose−20 mJ/cm²) between. Then the user (or program) can compute the range of acceptable doses based on their knowledge of the acceptable width for the wire

The method allows the router to include considerations of both lithography and particle yield problems, provides enough information so the router can intelligently select among alternatives, and allows the expression of ‘forbidden pitch’, where a particular pitch is not allowed even though a smaller pitch is OK.

The method further allows the router to make an intelligent tradeoff between extra vias and increased critical area. The goal of the router is to maximize yield, a truer indication of what the user wants, rather than just minimizing area. This may potentially result in non-minimum sized designs not currently considered by existing routers.

The extraction of parasitics and critical areas to take into account how the real manufactured silicon will look, at least to first order, without the need to do time consuming simulations, can be performed with this method, with use of tables to convey essential lithographic information to a router. This allows a router to use probability of correct construction, rather than minimum width and spacing.

Therefore, the router makes decisions with a goal of maximize yield, taking into consideration any two or three of lithography, particle, and via constraints simultaneously. The router also has the ability to trade off among the yield losses induced by via failure, lithography failure, and particle failure. 

1. A machine-implemented method for compressing manufacturing awareness into a representation for integrated circuit routing, the method comprising: using at least one processor to perform a process, the process comprising: obtaining a set of fabrication parameters which are used to determine a process window for a fabrication process for routing a design of the integrated circuit; obtaining particle data, wherein the particle data correspond to a plurality of sizes of particles and distribution of the particles on at least a portion of a mask or wafer; obtaining via data; and normalizing at least a part of the particle data and the via data to obtain normalized probability data; and using a non-transitory computer readable storage medium or a computer storage device to compress manufacturing awareness into a representation of the design that is made aware to a router for the act of routing the design of the integrated circuit by storing the particle data and the via data in one or more tables for the router to access during the act of routing the design of the integrated circuit while making one or more routing decisions.
 2. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the act of obtaining the particle data comprises: locating the particle data based at least in part on the fabrication parameters for particles that cause open circuits; and locating the particle data based at least in part on the fabrication parameters for particles that cause short circuits.
 3. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the act of obtaining the via data comprises: obtaining the via data for a single via from a first layer to a second layer; obtaining the via data for a double via from the first layer to the second layer; obtaining the via data for a triple via from the first layer to the second layer; performing the action of obtaining the via data for the single via, the action of obtaining the via data for the double via, and the action of obtaining the via data for the triple via for each of a plurality of layers, wherein the second layer is the layer immediately below the first layer.
 4. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the via data comprise a first probability of failure of a first via to a layer below a current layer on which the first via is located or a second probability of failure of the first via to a layer above the current layer.
 5. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a first via comprises a single via, a double via, a triple via, or a via configuration with more than two redundant vias, and the via configuration with more than two redundant vias is assumed to fail at a same rate as the triple via.
 6. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the act of obtaining via data is based at least in part on one or more across values and one or more along values.
 7. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining space and wire data.
 8. The machine-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the act of obtaining the space and wire data comprises: creating an example design including wires widths and space widths; testing the example design using the set of fabrication parameters to determine the process window; altering the wire widths and the space widths in the example design; and repeating the action of testing the design and the action of altering the wire widths and the space widths until a number of designs have been tested.
 9. The machine-implemented method of claim 7, wherein obtaining the space and wire data further comprises: determining a sweet spot of the process window; and determining a center of the process window.
 10. The machine-implemented method of claim 8, wherein a first example design emphasizes space width and a second example design emphasizes wire width.
 11. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the particle data and the via data are considered in routing decisions.
 12. The machine-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the space and wire data, the particle data, and the via data are considered in routing decisions.
 13. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying a first value of a routing characteristic which is forbidden in the integrated circuit routing; determining whether a second value of the routing characteristic is permitted in the integrated circuit routing, wherein the second value is smaller than the first value; and implementing the integrated circuit routing with the second value of the routing characteristic.
 14. The machine implemented method of claim 13, wherein the routing characteristic comprises a pitch or a spacing between two or more circuit features in the electronic circuit design.
 15. The machine implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a size of a critical area of a part of an electronic circuit design based at least in part upon the particle data; and determining a probability of failure for the part of the electronic circuit design based at least in part upon the size of the critical area.
 16. The machine implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: improving yield of manufacturing an integrated circuit design based at least in part upon the integrated circuit routing by reducing a number of vias in a portion of electronic circuit design.
 17. The machine implemented method of claim 1, wherein a router implements the integrated circuit routing by considering one or more non-minimum sized features for the electronic circuit design.
 18. The machine implemented method of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit routing is implemented without performing an analysis of a fabrication process or without performing simulation.
 19. A system for compressing manufacturing awareness into a representation for integrated circuit routing, the system comprising: a processor that is to: obtain a set of fabrication parameters which are used to determine a process window for a fabrication process for routing the integrated circuit; obtain particle data, wherein the particle data correspond to a plurality of sizes of particles and distribution of the particles on at least a portion of a mask or wafer; obtain via data; and normalize at least a part of the particle data and the via data to obtain normalized probability data; and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium or a computer storage device to compress manufacturing awareness into a representation of a design of the integrated circuit that is made aware to the router for the act of routing the design of the integrated circuit by storing the particle data and the via data in one or more tables for the router to access during the act of routing the design of the integrated circuit while making one or more routing decisions.
 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured for: identifying a first value of a routing characteristic which is forbidden in the integrated circuit routing; determining whether a second value of the routing characteristic is permitted in the integrated circuit routing, wherein the second value is smaller than the first value; and implementing the integrated circuit routing with the second value of the routing characteristic. 